The term “blend” is widely used in the tea industry jargon. Many shop owners mention that some customers don’t know what this term means, even though they love drinking blends!
Blend is an English word that means mixture. In our case, a blend is a tea composed of two or more ingredients.
Blends aim to create a sensory experience that pure tea can’t provide. To achieve this, ingredients and/or aromas are combined to obtain a balanced result.
The skill of blending ingredients harmoniously is both an art and a science, where creativity, knowledge, and experience determine the outcome.
Types of Blends
Many types of blends can be classified according to various factors. Here are some of the most popular ones.
Blends: Tea + Ingredients
This type of blend is made by mixing tea with other ingredients like fruits, spices, flowers, etc. They can be flavoured or unflavoured.
An example of a flavoured tea blend + ingredients is: Smiling Buddha ORGANIC
An example of an unflavoured tea blend + ingredients is: Chai Black Tea ORGANIC
Often this type of blend aims to be delicious, and also visually appealing and aromatic.
Blends: Tea + Flavours
These blends consist of tea to which an aroma has been added.
The aroma can be natural or conventional, or even an aroma “by contact.” In this case, we find two classic Chinese teas: jasmine tea and smoked tea.
To make Chinese jasmine green tea, closed jasmine flowers are placed in contact with the tea, and as they open, they impart their aroma to the tea. Meanwhile, Lapsang Souchong’s black tea acquires its aroma by being exposed to burning pinewood.
An example of a tea + aroma blend (traditional method) is: Earl Grey BIO
An example of a tea + aroma by contact is: Jasmin Dragon Pearls BIO
Blends: Tea + Tea
This type of blend is formed by mixing different types of teas. Generally, these blends are unflavoured, although there can be exceptions.
They can be blends that mix teas of the same type (for example, Darjeeling teas from various gardens) or teas from different regions (like Ceylon and Assam).
This blending practice ensures that a particular tea, theoretically pure, always has the same taste and visual appearance.
An example of a blend made with teas from various gardens is: Darjeeling First Flush
An example of a blend made from teas of different origins is: English Breakfast BIO
Non-Tea Blends
This type of blend is made by mixing different ingredients, but not tea or at least tea is not among the main ingredients. These include two groups: herbal tisanes or fruit infusions.
Herbal tisanes are those where the main ingredients are aromatic herbs or medicinal plants.
Meanwhile, fruit blends are those made mainly by mixing dried fruits.
Rooibos, a South African shrub, has also adopted this term to refer to recipes that combine it with other ingredients.
An example of a herbal tisane blend is: Amour Provence BIO
An example of a fruit mix blend is: Hawaii Summer
An example of a rooibos blend is: Kalahari BIO
What to Consider When Choosing a Blend for Your Business
The key to a good blend is balance. The ingredients should complement each other without any of them being dominant.
Additionally, always ensure the quality and freshness of the ingredients. This will guarantee a better experience for your customers. The flavours will be more intense, and the health properties will be optimal.
We recommend having classic blends but also betting on innovation and creativity. The world of blends is constantly evolving. Adding blends with new combinations and ingredients to your selection can become an attractive selling point for your customers.
Lastly, to choose a blend for your business, we offer you a valuable tip: you must understand your customers’ preferences and needs. Some customers prefer spicy flavours, while others prefer fruity ones. Our experience shows that not all blend families sell equally in all countries, cities, or stores, so it’s essential to adapt your offer and optimise it based on your customers’ tastes.
So: observe, analyse, take notes, and choose the best blend for your business!
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